Method and apparatus for making coated fabrics



June 30, 1942. w. F. GRUPE 2,288,188

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING COATED FABRICS Filed June 20, 1939 INVENTOR WILLIAM F. GRUPE 4% ATTORNEY ranged in festoons and v tirely unsuited Patented June 30, 1942 METHOD AND APPARATUS COATED FABRIC William F. Grupe, Lyndhurst,

FSOR MAKING N. J., ass n by.

mesne assignments, to Inter-chemical Corporation, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of Ohio Application June 20, 1930, Serial No. 280,034

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of coated fabrics, and aims to provide an improved method and apparatus for making them. The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 70,383, filed March 23, 1936.

In the production'of coated fabrics, such as oilcloth and artificial or simulated leather, according to methods now in use, it is customary to put the piece or web of fabric through several different treatments before the finished material is produced. Usually the complete process is not continuous and it is necessary to wind and unwind the material for each separate treatment. Because of the materials now used in making coated fabrics and the type of equipment now" available for this purpose, the coating is applied in many layers. Apparatus required for the application of each layer is cumbersome and utilizes a considerable amount of space since each layer is dried by passing the fabric or web through a large drying chamber where it is arpassed through very-slowly. Between successive coats, it has been necessary to calender the partially completed material in an effort to obtain a smooth surface, since the coating tends to follow the surface contour of Y the fabric.- In short, the entire method and ap-' paratus are antiquated and impractical and enfor modern production methods and schedules.

I have discovered that most of the difficulties in prior methods of producing coated fabrics may be successfully overcome and improved coated fabrics, such as oilcloth and artificial leather produced by a method, and with an apparatus, involving one continuous operation.

In accordance with my invention, all of the coating layers required in the finished product may be cast successively upon the surface of a casting drum or other suitable casting surface, and then the web or piece of fabric is brought into contact with the superposed layers under pressure and joined thereto. While in contact with the casting surface the thus coated web is dried and finally stripped from said casting surface and passed through any desired finishing, cutting and rewinding devices. By a selection of proper coatings, each having individual andselected characteristics, any desired resultant product may be obtained.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to use a large casting drum having a smooth surface from which the final product, in its dried and finished state, may be readily stripped. The

e the drum, and this layer first or prior cast layer fabric into contact with the v my invention outside or final surfacelayer is first castupon should consist of'some material, having good stripping and film forming characteristics, such as a cellulose compound, which will dry comparatively quickly and be easily removed from the casting surface. The next layer or layers applied to the-drum and upon the exposed surface of the first cast ,layer are the filler and body materials and should possess the property of adhering firmly to the and also to the fabric which is subsequently to be brought into contact therewith. Such materials are usually of a plastic and sticky nature so that theywill be forced into the interstices of the fabric when pressure is applied, and generally consist of mixtures of oil and clay. Before bringing the web of castlayers, it may be desirable to heat or otherwise set them slightly so that a proper bond will be assured. The web is then fed to the drum and brought into contact with the superposed layers under pressure, sufiicient pressure being applied, by means of pressure rolls, to produce a firm andper- -manent bond between the fabric and the coating layer. The thus coated fabric is then dried by the application of heat over the remaining are of the drum; and is finally stripped from the casting surface and passed through any desired printing, cutting and rewinding devices.

The above and other features and objects of will become Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing the lower portion of the castin drum and the manner of casting the coating layers thereon. As shown in the drawing, a large casting drum l0, having a smooth peripheral molding or castcomprise a reverse the first layer l4 upon the surface of the drum l6. Such first layer preferably comprises some composition, such as a cellulose compound, which, when dried, may be readily stripped from the casting surface. The following is a typical example of such a firstcoating:

Per cent 24 ounce, 15-20 seconds R. S. nitrocellulose solution 60 Pale blown oil (medium body) 23 Ethyl ace 17 A second coating or casting device I6 is likewise positioned at the bottom of the casting drum and beyond the coater I2 in the direction of rotation of the casting drum III. This second coating device I6 is adapted to apply or cast a coating layer l8 upon the exposed surface of the first applied coating layer l4. This second applied layer preferably comprises a suitable material which will give body to the ultimate coated fabric, and which is further of such a character that it will adhere firmly both to the first applied layer and to the fabric which is to be brought in contact therewith. I have found that mixtures including oil and clay or other body or filler material are suitable for the subsequent layers. For example, as a second coat for contact with the fabric I may use the following:

- Percent Ground kaolin 57 Blown linseed oil (medium body) l3 Starch solution (12% starch in 12% caustic soda) 10 12% Caustic soda solution 2 Water 18 It will be understood that pigments may be included with the clay, if desired. A typical example of a pigmented material which produces satisfactory results as the coating adjacent the first applied cellulose coating is the following:

Per cent Kettlebodied linseed oil 31 Lithonnne 58 Ultramarine blue 1 V. M. and P. naphtha 10 Both of the layers l4 and I8 are cast upon the drum 10 in a plastic or fluid status and are of such a character that they may be partially set or matured by applying heat thereto. For this purpose, a duct or hood 2!! may be arranged between coaters l2 and NS for initiating the setting of' the first applied layer l4. Similarly, a duct or hood 22 may be provided beyond the coater [6 for applying a heating medium to the last applied layer [8. A conduit 24 is connected to each of the hoods 26 and 22 for supplying heated air or other fluid thereto, although it will be understood that any suitable heating means may be used for partially setting or drying the layers applied or cast upon the surface of the drum It.

Any treatment given to the second applied layer l8 should be of such a nature that the material is in a relatively soft and adhesive state when it reaches a feed or. pressure roll 26 which is positioned beyond the drying hood 22. It will be apparent, then, that at this point the cast superposed layers are in condition to have the fabric, or other material to which they are to be applied, brought into contact therewith. Accordingly, a web 28 of uncoated or coated fabric, supplied from a suitable roll 30 is fed by means of feed rolls 32 to the pressure roll 26 and is passed between said pressure roll and the cast layers adhering to the surfacejof the casting drum. As indicated in Fig. 3,"the pressure roller 26 is so set with reference to the surface of the casting drum that the cast layers l4 and I8 and the web of fabric 28 will be squeezed together and the soft adhesive layer 18 will be partially forced into the interstices of the fabric to produce a firm bond. However, the setting of said pressure roller 26 need not necessarily be such as to produce the desired final thickness in the coated fabric; and any further compression of the coated fabric may be obtained by means of additional pressure rollers 34, 34 arranged in operative relation with respect to the drum l0 and above and beyond the pressure roller 26. I have shown, in the present the fineness of texture of the fabric, and the amount of compressiomdesired.

As the casting drum rotates and the coated fabric passes beyond the last pressure roller 34,

said fabric is substantially in its final state of compression,

any further reduction in the thickness thereof being caused only by the further and complete setting and drying of the coating material. To facilitate this final and complete drying of the coated fabric, a duct or hood may be provided over the major portion of the upper half of the drying drum and furnished with heated air or other dryingfiuid by means of a conduit 38. Should it be desired to accomplishthe final drying of the coated web in more thanone stage, an additional hood 40 supplied with heated air of a different temperature through a conduit 42 may be arranged adjacent the hood 36. Whatever the thermal treatment that is applied to the coated web, it should be such that saictweb is sufficiently dry that it may be stripped from the casting surface when it reaches a guide or stripping roller 44. Preferably the first applied and outside layer I4 is completely dry at the point of stripping and the second and adhesive layer l8 has so little solvent left therein that therewill be no remoistening of the layer l4.

In connection with the drying of the coated layers l4 and i8 and the finally coated fabric, the following may be noted. First, the layer I4 is dried from both sides thereof by the heated drum l0 and the hood 20 and all during its travel on the casting surface is heated by the drum 16. Next, when the layer It is applied, it will receive heat by conduction through the layer l4 and also on its exposed surface by means of the hood 22. Finally, heat is applied to the fabric side of the completely coated product by means of the hoods. 36 and 46.

. After being stripped from the casting surface at the guide roller 44, the completely coated fabric may be printed or otherwise decorated on the coated side thereof, in any desired number of colors, by means of the printing units 46 and 48. It will be understood, however, that the printing units could be arranged to print on both sides of the completely coated fabric, should this be desired. Feed rollers 50 may be provided to pass the coated web to a suitable cutter (not.

commercial oilcloth or simulated leather. This product may have any desired characteristics depending upon the type of materials used as coatings. In all cases, the outside surface thereof will be perfectly smooth and possess, in effect, a duplicate of the casting or molding surface of drum Ill, hence being free from the irregularities in the surface to which it is applied. While I prefer to apply the body and filler coating materials in a single layer, said materials may be applied in a plurality of layers, if desired. Various other changes may be made in the apparatus and method herein disclosed, and certain features or steps may be employed without others without departing from my invention or sacriiicing any of its advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A method of making oilcloth or similar material, which comprises casting a first layer of a film forming medium upon a smooth casting surface; partially setting said first layer by applying heat thereto applying upon the exposed surface of said film forming layer a layer of material including oil and clay and being of such consistency as to adhere to said film forming layer and to be adapted to fill the interstices of a web of fabric and adhere to the fabric; partially setting said last mentioned layerby applying heat thereto, and then bringing a web of fabric into contact with the second applied layer and successively applying positive pressure thereto so as to insure a bond between the east layersand said fabric; finally heating the thus coated fabric while in contact with said casting surface so as to dry said coated fabric; and then stripping said coated fabric from said casting surface.

2. Apparatus for continuously producing coated fabrics comprising a continuously moving casting surface; coating means for applying a first layer of a film forming material upon said casting surface; heating 'means for partially setting such first applied layer; means for applying a second layer of a different coating material upon the exposed surface of the first applied layer; means for bringing a web of fabric into contact with said second layer; means for successively applying positive pressure to the web and cast,

layers; heating means for drying the materials while adhering to the casting surface; and means comprising a roll for stripping the web with the cast layers bonded thereto from said casting surf ace,

WILLIAM F. GRUPE. 

